We Respect the Perspective, Achievements, and Priorities of Universities
There is no conflict between the regional self-government and the academic community, nor are we in dispute with any university. The substantive proposals submitted by Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, and Kazimierz Wielki University regarding changes to the allocation of funds from our regional programme – European Funds for Kujawy and Pomorze (FEdKP) – for scientific research and research-and-development infrastructure have been subjected to the standard European Union procedure. We are currently in dialogue with the European Commission and the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy concerning the possibility of renegotiating the FEdKP in this area,” said Piotr Całbecki during today’s press conference.
The letter sent by Marshal Piotr Całbecki to the members of the Presidium of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region Social Dialogue Council is available online.
The Marshal began the meeting with journalists by presenting Poland’s and Polish regions’ position on the European innovation map. He referred to excerpts from last year’s European Innovation Scoreboard, in which Poland was ranked 23rd among the 27 European Union member states. The highest-ranked Polish region – the Warsaw Capital Region – placed 135th, while the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region ranked 207th.
This means that in terms of technology, research and implementation, as well as commercialization of science, we remain among the least advanced regions in Europe. It also means that decisive action is needed to improve this situation. Acceleration is essential.
Hence the significant investments – PLN 245 million within the FEdKP allocated for R&D grants for companies, networking initiatives, and the development of research infrastructure – as well as the establishment of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Scientific and Technological Centre (Czochralski Centre) as the coordinator of activities in this field.
However, several years after these assumptions were adopted, it became clear that this model does not fully meet the expectations of part of the academic community. Therefore, a decision was made to ask the European Commission about the possibility of renegotiating the FEdKP segment concerning the financing of research and implementation activities.
If the European Commission agrees, the proposals submitted by Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, and Kazimierz Wielki University – including recognizing universities as direct beneficiaries, expanding the catalogue of support to include public research infrastructure, and increasing the level of subsidies to the maximum possible rate (up to 95 percent), with a total of PLN 30 million to be distributed among the three universities – will be reflected in the programme’s provisions.
Marshal Piotr Całbecki also announced today the withdrawal from the project to build a new headquarters for the Czochralski Centre behind the main campus of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, on a plot of land whose transfer to the regional self-government had previously been declared by the city mayor.
Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office
13 May 2026